HOLYOKE — A long section of Route 5 between Mountain Park Road and the Easthampton city line remained shut down throughout the day Thursday as local and state police converged on the Budget Inn at 579 Northampton St.

Law enforcement vehicles were seen racing down Northampton Street in Holyoke at around 8:15 a.m. when police quickly closed the road to motor vehicles. Massachusetts State Police did not respond to inquiries about the emergency as of 3 p.m. but a heavy law enforcement presence continued to build outside the Budget Inn in the morning hours.

More than two dozen police vehicles, including Massachusetts State Police, Hartford Police, and SWAT-style tactical law enforcement officers swarmed the area for hours. An ambulance was seen backing into the Budget Inn at around 2:30 p.m.

Tony Basile, owner of Hamel’s Catering nearby, said he received a call from state police informing him that there was an active, and potentially dangerous, situation at the Inn. He said he agreed to shelter nearby civilians, though the road closure has held up his clients, including one funeral service scheduled for this morning.

“It’s been blocked down since I think maybe somewhere between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. this morning. We had a funeral that’s waiting to get in there, so it’s just been kind of the severity of the situation seems to be pretty extreme,” Basile said. “Our clients and local residents, obviously people that are within walking distance, were able to just walk onto our property as the police have asked us to allow them to … we’re a big supporter of our community, so of course we allowed them in. Safety first.”

Nishta Patel, who said she was a long-term resident of the Budget Inn, said motel residents and civilians in the area were relocated to the Hamel’s Summit View Banquet Hall, located at 555 Northampton St., as Holyoke and Massachusetts State Police surrounded the Inn.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.